They were waiting for their Saviour, the Messiah promised to their fathers. They had faith that God would send Him and studied the Scriptures. Perhaps they didn’t call them Bible Studies, but they taught others what to think. Elders and scholars spent their lives studying and talking about the word of God. They were in the word, but the word was not in them. God knew, it was prophesied that they would reject Him.
“He is the stone, which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:11-12 NASB)
This is God’s purpose. He knew the end from the beginning and tells humans what was, is and will be.
“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.” (1 Timothy 4:1-5 NASB)
Jesus is returning and God has provided no other Saviour. Priests, monks and holy men, reverend, rabbi, imam and mufti will tell you what you can and cannot do. They will tell you not to kill and eat a cow or pig, but you should kill the man who would. There are more examples I could give but think it best for you to compare your teachers with God’s word. Prophecy only helps the hearer and the doer, the one who believes.
His Family Table 